I like buying 1/3 also and I was in a fabric store in Phoenix and buying 1/3 of a yard of 10 different fabrics. I told the girl cutting fabric that I need 1/3 of each and she looks at me dead serious and said they don't cut less than 1/4 of a yard. Fine, I want 1/3 - she called over another woman saying I wanted 1/3 and she tried to tell me that I couldn't have less than 1/4th. The new woman said not to worry she would handle it. After rolling her eyes, she cut my yardage. I can do so much more with 12 inch strips over the 9 inches.